Mexico’s Mines Will Produce 17 Percent Less in 2020
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Mexico’s Mines Will Produce 17 Percent Less in 2020

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By MBN Staff | MBN staff - Fri, 06/05/2020 - 09:19

Fernando Alanís, President of Mexico’s Mining Chamber, said to Reuters that “Mexican mining output will likely fall by about 17 percent in 2020 due to the impact of the novel coronavirus.” Production should recover by 1Q21 although Mexican mining exports would decline by around 10 percent this year. “About half of the industry’s operational staff have now returned to work, with the rest following over the next two months. But even though mining activities have resumed, exploration will remain on hold for the time being,” he said.

The Mexican mining industry has restarted operations this month after being shut down since late March as a response to COVID-19. Endeavour Silver is among the operators that resumed activities. Global Mining Review reported that the company has “restarted mining operations at its three high-grade, underground silver-gold mines in Mexico. Endeavour Silver filed its mine operating and health plans and received approvals from the Ministry of Health in Mexico to recommence mining operations.” Global Mining Review further notes that the company’s “management developed its mine restart plan utilizing the rigorous virus monitoring, prevention and response measures already in place at the company’s three mines that comply with government-mandated practices to ensure a safe working environment for all employees.”

The same report lists the following actions that Endeavour Silver has taken for the safety of all its stakeholders:

  • All employees and contractors reporting for duty undergo medical screening to verify that no one with COVID-19 symptoms or in contact with anyone exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms gets on site.
  • The company has COVID-19 test kits available if our doctors recommend testing of employees, contractors or people in the local communities.
  • Social distancing and sanitation measures throughout each workplace and transport vehicles.
  • Education campaigns at the mines and within the communities to increase awareness regarding COVID-19.
  • Ongoing support to local communities with sanitation supplies and medical care.
  • Active management of the supply chain to reduce risk and increase inventory levels.

The company’s mines and processing plants are ramping up activities to attain normal operative conditions. Exploration teams will also resume activities in June, mapping drilling and sampling. Processing plants belonging to each mine have started taking in mineral reserves to quickly increase their capacity, while mines get ready to pick up where they left off in March, the report explains.​​​​​​​

Photo by:   Pixabay

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